Lay Down Body: Living History in African American Cemeteries

Cemeteries hold a special significance in African American culture because they provide an important and elusive link in tracing African heritage - a practice made even more difficult by the institution of slavery. Borrowing its name from a traditional spiritual, "Lay Down Body" provides a unique glimpse into some of the oldest and most fundamental values of African American culture, many of which are preserved only in cemeteries.